The largest of Canada's geographic regions, the Shield is a massive horseshoe shaped area covering almost half of Canada. Made famous by the paintings of the Group of Seven, it is a landscape shaped by glaciers during the Ice Age. The rounded hills of igneous and metamorphic rock have been eroded and smoothed over time. Within these rocks lie minerals such as gold and silver. The Shield has been home to Aboriginal people for thousands of years. Today, they fight to maintain their culture as mining and hydroelectric stations threaten their traditional way of life.